This a sequel to "Worst damage done to engine..." thread. What's the highest dollar amount of property damage you've done while mowing a yard???? I consider myself lucky seeing that the worst damage I've done is busting out a drivers side window. Cost $250 to replace. I have since purchased liability ins.

LAWNS AND MOWER

Mowingman

03-30-2002, 10:10 AM

Threw a brick into the side of a new Honda minivan that was passing by on the highway. Did over $2000.00 damage. I do have liability insurance.:D

southside

03-30-2002, 10:13 AM

I've had a similar accident. Broke a passenger side window
on a Toyota Camry. Cost me $270 (AUD). I have public liability insurance but the excess is $250 so I didn't bother making a claim. Just wrote the lady a cheque. Strange thing was,I was
using my Walker GHS at the time. The Walker doesn't throw too
many rocks.

anythinglawns

03-30-2002, 10:30 AM

I threw a rock into a car while mowing at a local bank. Put a pretty good size dent in the quarterpanel as well a taking off some paint. The lady stoped, cussed me had a fit abuout me mowing the bank on Friday. (Banks preference) I told her that I had liablity insurance that would cover it but she said she didn't have time to fool around with that. She got back in her car and left. I have not seen her since. (2 years) I estimated about 600-800 in damage.

Fantasy Lawns

03-30-2002, 10:42 AM

$8k .... guy took the spiket off side of house (why go so close when you gotta weed whack anyways?).... got the water turn off in about 10 min. .... but new carpets n furniture inside, etc. ….the guy took a hike n we still ended up having the customer 2 more years until house sold

65hoss

03-30-2002, 11:40 AM

Guy working for me a couple years ago ran over a maple tree with a hydro mower and broke it off about 1" above ground. Cost me $25 + time to replace.

I run the mulch kits on my eXmarks so I never have to worry about things flying out and damaging people's property.

AL Inc

03-30-2002, 12:39 PM

$400 glass sliding door at my best customers house with a trimmer. We've broken a few other things but nothing that expensive. :( Mike

Grass_Slayer

03-30-2002, 02:52 PM

25 bux, broke a sheet of plate glass in a storm door. that customer is the nicest person i know. he said it was his fault for having a small piece of concrete laying in the yard!! i said it was mine cause i dint pick it up. he offered me 20 bux to get the door fixed, i told him it was my fault and i'll get it fixed. he put the 20 in my hand closed it around the bill and said go do somethin with ur girlfriend later. i knew he wouldnt take it back so i just took 20 off his bill that month.

jettabug

03-30-2002, 06:27 PM

:blob2: While removing some 30 year old yew's my backhoe kissed my customers house. It really was not that bad except they had aluminum siding and it is hard to replace, thank god for liability insurance.

I would not recommend being in the business with out it.
Jettabug:D

McKeeLand

03-30-2002, 08:30 PM

Very little damage in my 8 years as a lawnmaintenace contractor. Probably because I've cut by myself for the most part. However whenever I do have an employee or two things start braking fast.

I did know one guy who had someone drive a WB right into a in ground swimming pool though. No clue on what it cost him to fix that mess, but I would imagine that he needed to bring in a crane of something to get the WB out of the pool. Needless to say he canned that guy.

ronslawncare

03-30-2002, 10:13 PM

haaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaa that is the funnyiest sh-t i ever heard .how did he do that.

totallpm

03-31-2002, 02:52 AM

Our crew lead has a some bad luck at one of the complexes. He has thron rock with a trimmer and broke a large pain of glass. (450) a week later he hit a peice of rebar the scouts had left from putting out flags with a 36 inch exmark. Threw the rebar and stuck in the door of a parked honda accord. (600).

Then in the winter he was plowing and dont ask me how, but he went straight into a garage door and rearended the two vehicles. Said his foot slipped. $4500 in damage.

Only claimed the last incident on insurance.

Home owners association asked if we could work it so he no longer serviced thier account.

Kevin Total landscaping

shawn'slawns

04-01-2002, 12:02 AM

my brother also has a large business in canton and had our 18 yo cousin working for him. while weed trimming he threw rocks all over the side of my brothers brand new 2001 f350 dually causing major chip damage. well instead of telling the truth my cousin blammed some guy down the street who he saw mowing his grass near the road. needless to say my brother jumped in the truck and made him point the guy out! well after attorneys insurance agents and a very intense confrontation my brother later found out the truth after our cousin quit and told another employee what he had done. this was a very complicated expensive mess!!

Ray&Christine

04-01-2002, 02:31 AM

I have been lucky, in 10 years the only thing I have damaged was a plastic flower pot that I cracked with my Walker, it cost me about $12.95.

Ray

TJLC

04-01-2002, 05:41 AM

I accidently put about a 4-5 inch scratch in one of my customers vehicles. They were furious and hassled me religiously for the money. I turned it into my ins. They promptly took care of it and cut a check to them for about $500.00. That was about 6-8 months ago and they still havn't got it fixed. Pocket money, I guess. That is when our business relationship ended. You try to be honest and do the right thing. Kinda makes you wonder if it's worth it or not. This guy would have never known if I wouldn't have gone to his door and told him, but it wouldn't have felt right to just let it go. I've been told that I'm too honest.

MOW ED

04-01-2002, 06:11 AM

I had a post on a similar topic 2 years ago but in short I broke 2 pieces of window glass on a big expensive house. Single pane windows. I think after all was said and done it was under 200 but could have been many thousands if the rock would have hit the picture on the wall.

Had a guy two years ago somehow run my ZTR straight into a central air unit. 3500 to replace really hurt the profit margin.

McNeal Lawn

04-01-2002, 12:28 PM

I had a commercial property for 5 years straight, 4 of those 5 years I broke a double pane window every year. $180.00 a shot, man am I glad I don't have that place any longer.

bobbygedd

04-01-2002, 02:32 PM

one time i ran over a customers dog, it looked pretty expensive, hardly took up any room in the catcher(gator blades) . but i never said anything, just left the gate open, customer thought the dog ran away.

Always Green

04-01-2002, 05:01 PM

I had a peice of linkage fall off my Dixie, hit the blades and go thouhgt the bed of a brand new ( less than 500 miles) Chevy3500 with custom paint, what really pisses me off is, the truck belonged to another landscaper mowing the yard next door, cost My insurance $4000.00. AND THEN THE GUY TELLS MY CUSTOMER THAT MY MEN DO STUFF LIKE THAT ALL THE TIME, AND NOW THEIR HIS CUSTOMER NOW!!!!!!!!!!

Brickman

04-01-2002, 06:08 PM

LOL it is funny when it is the other lawn companies that this happens to. When it is you it isn't so funny. Worst I have ever had was an employee that broke a plate glass door with a trimmer at a commercial property. He was real stupid about it, and wouldn't own up to the fact that he broke it. He quit soon after. Cost me almost $350. I have a $250 deductable on insurance. So didn't turn it in.
The one about the dog is funny. Poor pooch.

I have never had my Walker throw any thing like what was mentioned. That is a fluke.